Or maybe Smith-Schuster felt he would leave Pittsburgh prematurely, especially after Ben Roethlisberger signed a new deal that would ensure he would be with the Steelers for 2021. The whole thing had a “Last Dance” feel to it, and it seems like Smith-Schuster didn’t want to miss out, especially not after the Steelers struggled across the finish line in 2020 and were a one-time exit in the playoffs. .
“He was somewhere in an atmosphere and environment, to know where the team knows you, they know your history, they know how you are, how to use you and things like that,” Smith-Schuster said when asked which drove him to return to the Steelers. “To come back and know that I would have Ben another year and play my last year was just like, ‘Yo, I’m going to take my chance, I’m going to play with Ben. ‘
“Baltimore, KC, these are undoubtedly all great teams. These teams are playoff candidates every year for the next five to ten years, and I respect that. Tee Martin was a coach at USC who coached me, he finished. go to the Ravens and he reaches out and so the process begins.Lamar reaches out, calls the head coach, Marlon Humphrey beats me up.It starts getting serious when the players start texting you and hitting you like ‘Yo, what’s up, bro “What are we doing? Come win.” All respect for them, and it was cool. But I think with me it’s more like staying home, staying loyal. In my situation we have a new OC, Ben is coming back , my relationship with my receiving coach, Ike Hilliard, is great You can not beat it.
“It’s best to be at home with the Steelers. It’s ideal just for me, you know. I think what people really could not see much of was later in my career, because I dealt with injuries, I mainly did.” “And to come back and play more outside this year and show people what a number 1 can be and that Ben is healthy and that I’m healthy and only have the team we have.”
Smith-Schuster certainly sounds optimistic about Pittsburgh’s chances in 2021, enough to take less money to return to the Steelers with a $ 8 million one-year deal. We are learning this season whether it is bearing fruit.